Running-gear for vehicles.



I. E. PALMER.

RUNNING GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION mum AUG. 12, 1908,

Patented Nov. 2, 1909,

I. E. PALMER.

RUNNING GEAR r011 vnmcms. APPLICATION FILED AUG 12, 1908.

Patented Nov. 1909.

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ISAAC E. PALMER, OF TMIDDLETO'WN, CONNECTICUT.

RUNNING-GEAR ron VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAoE. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Running-Gear for Vehicles,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention relates to trackless, powerdriven vehicles, and it hasmore particularly for its objects 'to provide a construction whereby, ifdesired, the use of pneumatic. tires may be avoided, to provideincreased traction, to provide more extensive Wheel support so as toreduce the weightupon par ticular wheels, and, to provide improvedwheel-deflecting mechanism.

In order that the principles. of the inven' tion ma be clearl understoodI have in the accompanying drawings disclosed certain types orembodiments thereof wherem,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of tile body and the running gearof a trackless, mver-driven vehicle embodying one form of my invention;Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a side elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of a portion of the wheeldeflecting mechanism; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the construction shown inFig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a central section upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawin 's, the body frame of thevehicle is represented at 1 in Figs. 1 and it being of any suitableconstruction.

In the present form of the invention I have represented three frontwheels, '2, 3 and 4, respectively; each of said wheels being mounted forlateral deflection or guiding movement. In connection with three rearwheels, I may employ any suitable number of front. wheels, as, forexample, two front wheels which may be in. or out of transversealinement, as disclosed in my application No. 409,753, filed Jan. 8,1908. \Vhile the front wheels may be mounted in any suitablemanner,preferably I .provide a yokelike axle 5, upon the ends whereof thewheels 2 and 3 are mounted for rotative and deflective movement. Thewheel 4 is mounted at the opposite side of the vehicleand, if desired,upon the yoke-like axle 5 for rotative and defiective movement.Preferably the Wheel 4 is out of transverse alinementi. with both?Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 1 .8,

Patented Nov. 2, icon. 1 90s. Serial No. 448,129.

wheels .2 and 3. The front wheels are connected to the steeringmechanism for simultaneous deflective movement. To accomplish thisresult I have hereinrepresented a lever 6, secured to the spindle of thewheel 2, and a longer lev'er 7, secured to the spindle of the wheel 4,said levers having jointed thereto a connecting rod 8, suitablyconnected to the steering mechanism (not shown). The levers 6 and 7 areso proportioned as to. impart to the leading Whee 2 a greater angulardeflection than is imparted to the Wheel 4. The Wheel 3 has secured tothe spindle thereof a lever 9, jointed'for simultaneous detlectivemovement witli'the levers 6 and 7 in any suitable manner, as by means ofa connecting rod 10, herein represented as pivoted at its front end to aside extension 11 from the lever 6.

I have herein represented three rear wheels, 12, 13 and 14,respectively, the Wheels 13 and 14 being mounted uponthe ends of ayoke-like axle 15. The Wheel 12 is mounted upona shaft 16, driven in anysuitable manner. Preferably the wheel 12.

is mounted for non-defiective movementupon the shaft 16 and when thevehicle is turned acts as the pivot Wheel. .Qne or both of the wheels13, 14 maybe driven in any suitable manner from the shaft 16, a gear orsprocket drive being preferred. Herein I have represented a doublesprocket wheel 17, mounted upon the shaft- 16' and having sprocketchains 18 and 19, leading respec tively to suitable sprocketfwheelsoperatively connected to the wheels '13 and 14.

The wheels 13 and 14 may be mounted in.

' vided if desired. Herein, fast in extensions 23, 23 from the axle 15,is mounteda preferably vertical'pintle 24. surrounding which is asleeve25 from which extends an .arm2'6 suitably, connected to the steeringnecha'nism. Referring to 1, the arms 26, eigl than the wheels opposite rthe lever 28. When steering movement is imparted to the connecting rod10 upon lateral deflection of the wheels 2, 3 and 4c, the wheels 2 and 3are positively deflected in opposite directions through the describedconnections.

The gear wheel 21, Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with opposite cars 30 inalinement with the pintle 24. Fast in said ears are screws 31, 31, theinner ends thereof serving as journals for a ring 32, which may thusrock upon an axis coincident with'the pintlc 24. The wheel 13 isconnected to the ring 32 in such manner as to be driven therefrom at anyangle of deflection. Herein for the purpose the spindle of the wheel 13is provided with a yoke 33, wherein are mounted opposite screws 3%, 34,entering opposite holes in the ring 32. The screws 3e, 34: arepositioned intermediate the screws 31, 31, and are shown as'at rightangles thereto. When the arm 26 is rocked in either direction the sleeve25 is'correspondingly oscillated about the pintle 24, thereby deflectingthe wheel 13 upon the pintle 24; and the screws 31, 31 as a verticalaxis, toward and from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

The single truck having the three wheels 12, 13 and 14 and arranged asdescribed and claimed, with two laterally deflectable wheels on one sideand power means to drive one or both of said laterally deflectablewheels, is of general application, may be applied to any suitable bodyframe of a t-rackless,

-'.'power driven Vehicle, and be connected thereto atany suitable partthereof, with or without another truck.

Having thus described one'type or embodiment of my invention, I desireit to be understood that although specific. terms are employed they areused in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the followingclaims.

Claims. r

1.. Runnin gear for tracliless, power driven vehic cs comprising incombination, a front trnclt provided with a yoke-like axle havingmounted thereon two laterally defiectable wheels at one side of thevehicle, said truck having one laterally cleile l'ublc wheel at theother side thereof.

2. Running gear for traclrless, power driven vehicles comprising incombination,

a front truck having three wheels only, arranged in staggered relations,two on one side and one on ."the opposite side, a three wheel rear truckhaving two wheels on one side andone on the other, said two wheels beinglaterally detlectable in opposite directions, steering mechanismconnected to all of said .ileflect-able wheels, whereby they may, besimultaneously deflected and means for driving one or more of saidlaterally defiectable wheels.

3. Running gear. for trackless, power driven vehicles comprising incombination, front ,and rear three wheel trucks, a yokelike axle on eachtruck and each supporting two wheels, said yokes being oppositelyarranged, one or more wheels of each truck bein laterally defiectable,and common steering means for deflecting said wheels relative to therespective trucks.

t. Runnin gear for trackless, power driven vehic es comprising incombination, front and rear three wheel trucks, a yokelike axle on eachtruck and each supporting two wheels, said yokes being oppositelyarranged, the third wheel on each truck being mounted ad'acent the crownof each yoke,

and means for simultaneously deflecting all the wheels of the forwardtruck and a pinrality of wheels of the rear truck.

5. Running gear for trackless, power driven vehicles comprising incombination, a three wheeltruck having two wheels on one side and one Onthe other, and a driving shaft supported by said truck and whereon saidodd wheel is mounted, said two wheels being laterally defiectable.

6. Runnin gear for trackless, power driven vehicles comprising incombination, a three wheel truck having two wheels at one side of thevehicle, means for driving said two wheels and a driving shaftsupportedby said truck and carrying a nonlat'erally deflectablc third wheel attheopposite side of the vehicle.

7..Running gear. for trackless, power driven vehicles comprising incombination, a three wheel truck having two wheels at one side of thevehicle, a driving shaft sup ported by said truck, a wheel mounted uponsaid shaft atthe opposite side of the vehicle, a gear wheel upon saidshaft, and driving connections therefrom to said two wheels. i

8. Running gear, for trackless, power driven vehicles comprising incombination, a three wheel truck having two wheels at one side of thevehicle, a driving shaft supported by said truck, a wheel mounted onsaid shaft at the opposite side of the vehicle, a. double sprocket gearupon said shaft at the end thereof adjacent said two wheels, andsprocket chains connecting the latter and said gears.

- 9. Running gearfor trackless, power drivenvehicles comprising incombination, a

three Wheel truck having two'wheels ar ranged upon one side and theremaining wheel upon the other, and a plurality of slaid wheels beingdeflectable, pivoted rings whereto said deflectable wheels are connect:

ed, means for positively deflecting said dedriven vehicles comprising incombination a three wheel truck having a yoke-like axle, a pair ofwheels carried thereby at one side'of the vehicle, pivoted ringssupported by said axle and to which said wheels are connected, means forpositively deflecting said aiLof wheels, and a driving shaft mounte uponsaid truck, the third wheel of said truck being mounted on said drivingshaft.

11. Running gear for trackless powerdriven vehicles comprising, incombination,

7 a truck having three wheels only and ar- Tlifiged in staggeredrelation one 'on one side and two on the opposite side of said truck,the said two wheels being laterally deflect able, and power means fordriving one or both of said laterally defiectable wheels.

12. Running gear for trackless powerdriven vehicles comprising, incombination, a truck having three wheels only, said wheels beingarranged insta "gored-relation one on one side and'two on t "e -oppositeside of the truck, the said two wheels being laterally defiectable, andpower means for driving all,

three wheels,

13. Running gear for trackless powerdriven vehicles, comprismg, incombination,

a truck having three wheels only, one of said wheels being on one sideand two on the opposite side of said truck, rings carried by said truckand connected to a plurality of said wheels, and power driving meansconnected to said rings, said wheels to which the rings are connectedbeing dirigible. v,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC E. PALMER. .VVi tnesses CHAS. M. 'SeU'ER, REUBEN M"-BURR.

